A PASSION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE & INNOVATION

“I LOVE THE BUSINESS OF CITY BUSINESS,” SAYS MAYOR MELANIE PIANA. WHICH MAKES SENSE GIVEN HER DEEP BACKGROUND IN TRANSPORTATION, URBAN PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

She’s wrapping up her second term as mayor this year, a four-year stint that was preceded by ten years of being elected to City Council. Her résumé also includes having worked for the Michigan Suburbs Alliance for nine years and having helped launch Redevelop Ready Communities (now an initiative of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation). When her mayorship ends at the end of 2023, she’ll be dedicating all of her attention to her job with the Regional Transit Authority. In short, if it’s related to transit or municipal finances, she’s done it.

“When I look at the arc of my tenure of 14 years of being an elected official in Ferndale, what I’m most proud of was the voters approving a Headlee override in 2013,” she says. “That allowed City Council and staff to innovate and change how the City delivered services based on what the residents were asking for, in particular online services.”

The City also now has a communications department and the City Manager’s office offers classes like Fern & Learn, an introductory community civics program that invites citizens to get up close and personal with their local government.

ANOTHER FOCUS IN FERNDALE HAS BEEN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE through safer and smarter infrastructure. Given that over 70 percent of Ferndalians have voted for new transit investment, whether for SMART renewals or the 2016 regional ballot initiative, Mayor Piana always keeps that in mind when the City plans for growth in the future. Residents have repeatedly said that they want to traverse the Woodward corridor (and cross it safely!) in different ways: By bike, on foot, in cars, via public transportation, etc. “A lot of our residents say that they moved here for the bike lanes and walkability and because they feel like they belong here,” the Mayor points out. “That sense of well-being is what makes Ferndale such an attractive place to live for people of all ages.”

Innovation, likewise, looms large. From retail incubators like the Rust Belt Market to an ever-changing mix of drinkeries and eateries, Ferndale continues to attract businesses, shoppers and diners. The Mayor thinks that the entrepreneurial spirit on behalf of both business-to-consumer and business-to-business establishments is one of the main forces behind the city government’s willingness to innovate.

“Ferndale tries to be the most forward-thinking city in the area,” she says. “I feel like I inherited that in my Council position from previous leaders. They all had forward-thinking ideas that made us a community that was willing to try something different.”

ONE OF THOSE BIG LEAPS FORWARD was the Downtown Development Authority pushing to reduce the number of lanes on Nine Mile from four to two over 20 years ago. What was initially a sewer replacement project became an infrastructure change that spurred economic growth and created more prosperity for not only businesses but also residents and visitors.

In a similar vein, when MDOT told the City in 2018 that they were going to repave Woodward from Eight Mile to Ten Mile, the City asked for a delay to figure out how to get safety improvements on top of the normal repaving. Residents had been asking the City to “fix Woodward,” as Mayor Piana puts it.

“Doing the lane reduction will enhance the quality of life for everyone,” she says. “Being more connected is going to be a huge win.” And in a city that prides itself on welcoming everyone exactly as they are, connection is at the core of the community.